Tracking, transposing, and sustaining device.



G. A. IE'IERSON.

TRACKING, TRANSPDSING, AND SUSTAINING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29. I9|5.

.E/wIt G. A. PETERSON.

TRACKING, TRANSPOSING, AND SUSTAINING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 29. 1915.

fir/f5.

G. A. PETERSON.

TRACKING, TRANSPOSING, AND SUSTAINING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 29. Isls.

1,275,300'. y Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ausm a. ramasser, or anemona' :Lain rs, elenca 'ro scirumm PIANO, com:

um?, or aocxre'a, 1,275,300,

4To allwhomz'tmay concern.:Y

, yBe. it known that I, GUsr A. PEtmRsoN,

' 4 a citizen of the United States, residing at Ins Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new 'y and useful Improvements 1n Tracking, Dev1ces,xof

'.lransposing', and 'Sustaining which the vfollowin 1s aspecrcation. This invention re ates 1n general to apparatus employinga perforated sheet adapted to travel over a tracker bar having ducts with which the said perforatlons reglster to control pneumatic devices, and has more particular reference to apparatus of this character embodied in mechanical musicalV A instruments, such, for instance, Tas player vso Itis well known that in the use of player pianos imperfect registration of the note sheet perforations with the ducts of-the tracker barfis inimical to perfect productlon of musicfyandto insure against this'occurf known 'as automatic .trackers have been devised for malntalmng rence various` -mans correct registration of the note sheet with the tracker barl by moving either with retracker bar maybe s ifted at will trans- I versely to the line of travel of the note sheet 'to register a new series of note ducts with the perforations of the sheet have been employed. Thus, by shifting the tracker bareitherto the right or leftthe distance of one or more note'ducts, the piece maybe played -in different keys, higher or lower, according to the adjustment. c

`While both transposing fand automatic'.

tracking devices have been used. separately on player pianos, so far as I am aware, they have never been combinedA in one mechanism v so that transposimg'canl be effectedI will and. at the same time the sheet be controlled byv an automatictracker.. The primary object of my invention is to provide suchfa device, that is, one in which registration of,`

the 'per'frations of vthe note sheet with the ducts ofthe tracker bar will be automatically maintained Vand in which transposing to higher or lower keys may be effected at will .without disturbing the functions of the aul tomatic tracker.

appnmoagnleazioiember'ae, i915.' serial No.' 64,0211.v

` mcxnve, Nn's'igs'ramme nnvrcn' nother object of my invention is tol rovide a device of this character which Wi l be Patent Patented Aug. 13,1918'. i

simple in construction and operation and .5

thoroughly practical commercially.l A

My lnvention also contemplates the provision of a combined transposing and automatic tracking vdevice by which a transpo- 'Y sition to the extent of six keys may be made; and the provision of asustaining 4or dampercontrol device, the function of which will not be affected either by transposin to different keys orby the operation of t e auto-4 matic tracker.

In carrying my invention-finto Aeifect I i have developed `'and roducedA several em bodiments,4 eachl of w ichV contains certain characteristics common to allbut diiering in minor details, as will appear hereinafter. My invention [is characterized, generally speaking, by the provisionof a trackerbar taining 'a series of note ducts with which the perforations of a note sheet are adapted' to register and the other aduct-with which a marginal' portion of the note sheet coper fect automatic tracking. The` tracker bar is so constructed that when the sheet perforations run out of alinement with the tracker ducts, a pneumatic device willbe o erated having relatively movable portions, one conatesfor controlling a pneumatically operated Y, device .which actuates the tracker bar to ef.

to restore alinement by shifting t e bar,

both' note and tracker portions in unison, either to the right or left,I and is furthermore so constructed that thenotel duct portion of the tracker bar may be shifted either to the right or left relatively-tothe note' sheet and independently of the tracker ductportion to eilect transposing without disturbing the automatic' tracking functions' of the device, because the tracking'portions of u vthe bar remain substantiallystatlonary and Yim'c operative relation with an edge of the note sheet. `To obtain sustaining or damper control under all conditions of operations, I

'have provided the tracking duct portion "of the tracker bar witha'duct'leadingto the ioo damper-control so that the line of 'sustainring perforations, which are disposed at -a fixed distance fromfojne edge of the sheet#- lwill always .register with the sustaining duct on the tracker bar; since this vductlis in ixed relation with the tracking duct, i

which, as described above, remains stationary when the note duct portion ofthe-bar isA 'will be fullf shifted in the act of transposing. The construction of the tracker bar and its cooperating devices and the operation thereof understood by reference to the following escription' when considered in connection with the accompanying drawin s, whereinigure 1 is a front elevation of a spool box, upon which is mounted a tracking, transposing and'sustaini device embodying t e principles of my invention, the device being shown in normal position;

Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

3 is a fragmentary' vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspective of the tracking and sustaining duct portion of the tracker bar shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary views of the tracker bar shown in Fig. 1 transposed to extreme low and high keys, respectively;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a modified form of my invention;

Fig. 8 is a plan sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 9 is a front elevation of another modiied form of my invention;

Fig. 10 is a plan sectional view taken on the llne 10-10 of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the tracker bar shown in Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawings, it will be noted thatmy improvements are mounted on a conventional form'of spool box comprising a base 12 and uprights 13 and 14 interosed between and upon which are mounted 1n vertically spaced relation a music roll 15 and a take-up or winding-on roll 16. These rolls are fixed against axialdisplacement so that a note sheet 17 carried thereby will be run in a substantially fixed path over a. tracker bar designated ingeneral by reference character 18 interposed between the rolls and slidably mounted on the uprights 13 and 14 so as to be movable transverselyv to the line of travel of the note sheet.

Referring now `to the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive,

yit will be noted that the tracker bar cornprises a major or note duct portion 19 and end or tracking duct portions 21 and 22, designated generally bythe respective reference characters. The ends of the tracker bar portion 19 are slidingly mounted in recesses 23 in the face of the uprights 13 and 14 and held against outward displacement by plates 24 suitably secured to the uprights in front of the tracker bar. 'I he major portion of the tracker bar is slotted centrally and lengthwise at each end as at 25 to slidingly receive the end portions 21 and 22, which are provided with splines 26 fitting in grooves in the major portion so as to be guided in movement lengthwise of the tracker bar. The major portion of the tracker bar is provided intermediate itis slotted ends with the usual note ducts 27 with which the perforations of the note sheet are adapted to register. The end p ortions 21 and 22, the faces of which are flush with the faces of the major portion 19, are provided with tracking ducts 28 and 29 respectively, and the portion 21 is provided with an additional duct 31, termed a sustaining duct. It should be understood that these ducts lead to and control the operation of their respective pneumatically operated devices, that is, the note ducts 27 lead to the action pneumatics, the sustaining duct 31 to the damper-control, and the tracking ducts 28 and 29 to a pneumatic device adapted to effect shifting of the tracker bar and which will be more particularly described hereinafter.

The end portions 21 and 22 of the tracker bar are connected together by means of a tie rod 32 secured at its ends by screws 33 to the said end portions so that the saine will be maintained at all times in fixed relative relation. A connection ifs/established between the end portions 21 and 22 and the major portion 19 of the tracker bar, which permits either the tracker bar as an entirety to be moved transversely to the line of travel of the note sheet or the portion 19 to be moved in said transverse direction independently of and with respect tothe end portions 21 and 22. In this instance, this connection is in the form of a screw shaft 34 journaled at one end in a rearward extension 35 of the tracking duct portion 21 and threaded at its opposite end in a nut member 36 fixed to the adjacent end of the note duct portion 19, the screw shaft being held against axial displacement with respect to the tracking duct portion 21 by means of a spur gear 37 fixed to the screw shaft at the outer side of the journal 35 and a pin 38 passing through the shaft at the inner side of said journal. Thus, through the agency of the tie rod 32 and screw shaft 34 the note andtracking duct portions of the tracker bar are connected so as to be movable as a. unit transversely to the line of travel of the note sheet. and upon turning the shaft 34 the note duct portion and tracking duct portions may be moved relatively in said transverse direction. This relative movement of" the note and tracking duct portions is facilitated by the provisions of an adjusting wheel 39 disposed at the inner side of the upright 13 and fiXedly mounted on a v VShifting the tracker bar as an entirety Atranversel to the direction of'travel of thev note sheet 1s effected by a lpneumatically operated device in the following manner: A lever 43 pivoted intermediate its ends at 44 to a plate 45 ixedly secured to then right 13 1s .Y ivotally connected at 46 to t e tracking uct portion 21 and` pivotally connectedl at 'i its opposite end through-the medium of a link 47 to a double acting'pneumatic 48.

- This pneumatic v'is designed to rock the lever 43 on its fixed ivot 44 in either direction sol as to shift t e tracker bar either to4 the leftor right, it being apparent that during such movement of the tracker barlthe spur gear 37 will be moved likewise, a1-

l though the movement is so slight that it does not unmesh Vthe gears. AA connection, (not shown) is established between` .each tracking duct 28 and 29 and a conduit 49 leading toone Vof the bellows of the double pneumatic 48. A constant predetermined vacuum or suction is maintained in the pneumatic by suitable means, as is well under-l stood in this art, so that when the tracking ducts 28 and 29 are covered the pneumatic will remain inactive, while if either tracking duct is uncovered suiiiciently to admit air to its respective bel-lows, this bellows will be expanded s o as to rock the lever 43 and move l the tracker bar. Thus, when the note sheet 17 is running normally wlth its note p erforations properly re 'stering or tracking with the note ducts 2 on the tracker bar,

the edges or marginal portions of the note sheet will just cover the tracking ducts 28 and 29, as shown in Fig. 1. As sometimes occurs, either because the note sheet shifts slightly to the right or left with respect to the tracker bar or for-other reasons, the erforations of the note sheet run out of aline- -I i. ment with the not-e ducts of the tracker bar thereby impairing the quality of the music. This lateral displacement-of the note sheet uncovers one of the tracking apertures, admitting air thereto and causing the pneumatic device to shift the-bar in a direction to restore the note ducts of the tracker bar` to proper registration with the perforations ofthe note sheet. From the foregoing, it

will be apparent that thev severalportions of the tracker bar areautomatically moved as a unit either to the right or left to restore registration of the perforations of the note sheet with the ducts of the tracker bar. AIn this connection it should be understood that I have combined an automatic tracking device in a novel manner with other features,

thefunctions of which will be described hereinafter and thatmy invention does not residein the particular form or type of automatic tracking device illustrated, but other formsA of such devices well known in this art may be emplo ed.

Gomingnow to the eature of transposing from one key to another, it will be noted, viewing Fig. 1, that the tracking duct portion 22 is providedwith six graduations representing ifferent keys in which the music may be payed, the line 51 representing mi dle C. The tracker bar portion 19 contains 'an arrow coperating with this key scale and,`as shown in Fig. 1, the several portions of the tracker bar are so positioned that the arrow is opposite tothe aduation representin middle C. This is t e scale in which music sheets are designed to be normally played, but by moving the note duct vportion of the tracker bar to the right or eft relatively to the trackin duct portions 21 and 22 the distance o one4 or more notches a. new series of tracker ducts will bel brought into registration with the note perforations so as to play in a vdifferent key. It will be seen that the tracker bar may be moved three notches to the left, which produces playing in lower keys and two notches to the right for higher keys, the range being six keys. Since the tracker bar as an entirety 1s normally held stationary by reason of the fixed anchorage at the pomt 44 and the inactivity of the pneumatic 48 due to proper coperation of the note sheet with 'the tracking duct portions 21 and 22, it will be observed that the note duct portion 19 may be moved either to the right or left with respect to said tracking duct portions without disturbing either their coperation with the note sheet or the pneumatic device.

Thus, by turning the hand wheel 39 the screw 34 will be turned to feed the note duct portion 19 either to the -right or left relaautomatically actuated to restore proper tracking.A

In Fig. 5, I have shown the tracker bar transposed to the eXtreme left hand osition for playing in the lowest key and in Fig. 6 the tracker b ar in the extreme right hand position for playing in the highest key. In these figures as in Flg. 1, it Will be noted that the end portions 21 and 22 remain in the same relation to the note sheet so that the sustaining duct 31 is maintained in alinement with the sustaining perforations as long as the note sheet tracks properly with the tracking ducts.

In Figs. 7 4and 8, I have shown another embodiment of my invention in which it will be noted that the major orton 52 of the tracking bar contains trac ing ducts 28 and 29 and a sustaining duct 31', and that it is mounted to slide tothe right and left on the uprights 13 and 14 similarly to the major,

p o'rtion 19 of the first described tracker bar. he major portion 52 of 'the tracker bar is slotted centrally as at 53 and formed with grooves 54 to slidingly receive guide ribs of a note duct portion 55. A screw 56 mounted on the tracking duct portion 52 so as to be incapable of axial displacement with respect thereto and threaded into a nut 57 secured to the note duct portion 55 is adapted to be rotated by a gear-operated device similarfto. that shown in the first embodiment for ad justing the note duct portlon transverselyl f may be played, and in the present instance,`

it will bla' observed that the pointer or indicator 59 is connected to the note duct portlon 55 at the rear side thereof.'

A brief explanation will suiiice for an understanding of the operation of this form of invention.' Upon turning the hand wheel 39 the note duct portion 55 may be shifted to transpose to higher or lower keys and,

after having been set at a predetermined key represented by the indicator 59, the trackin mechanism will be effective for maintaining the note sheet and tracker -bar inv proper relation. Y

Referring now toFigs. 9, 10 and 11 in which I havel shown still another embodiment of my invention, it will be observed that the tracker bar comprises a major portion 61 containing note ducts and end or tracking duct portions 62 and 63 slidingly mounted in the uprights 13 and 14 and slidingly connected with the major portion 61 so that the latter may be moved transversely to the line of travel of the note sheet and relatively to the said end portions 62. The said end portions 62 and 63 have reducedinner ends 64 slidingly fittin in slots in 4the major portion 61, the sai portions 64 containing tracking apertures 28 and 29 and asustaining aperture 31. Means for uiding and maintaining the tracker portions Ain operative relation to the major portion 61 are provided in the form of two pairs of rods 65 and 66 secured in the ends of the said portion 61, upon which rods the track- 11, it will be'observed thatithe upper rod 66 is threaded at its outer end to receive a nut l Y 67 confined in the tracking' duct portion 63 against axial displacemen 4Upon turning the nut 67, the note duct portion will be moved-either' to the left or'right relatively to the tracking duct portion's, sincethese are maintained stationary by reason of their connection with the; automatic tracking mechanism. It will be 'readily apparent that adjustment by means of the nut 67 eectstransposing to dierent keys. As in the second described embodiment, the tracking portion at the right hand of the tracking bar is provided with a graduated key scale with which coperates an indicator 59 secured to the note duct portion.- The opera- -tion of the last described embodiment is similar in eve? respect to those previously described, the ierence being merely in the particular form of the tracker bar portions and the method of adjusting the same relatively to effect transposing.

Referring to the several embodiments, it

. will be observed that in eachthe note sheet contacts with the tracker b'ar throughout the length of the sheet, since at no polnt in the tracker bar are there gaps extending entirely' crosswise thereof in which the note sheet might sag so as to displace its perforations from proper registration with ducts on the tracker bar. It should also be understood that an suitable means may =be provided for indicating 'in what key the tracking duct portion is set for playing.

While in the foregoing, I have illustrated my invention by means of several embodiments each of which, however, contain cer-I tain c aracteristics common to all, it should be understood that my objects may be 'car` ried into practice by various forms of transposing and automatic tracking devices so combined as to effect the rinciples of my invention. Hence, it should be understood that my improvements are not to be circumscribed by changes in construction and design which are sti l Within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: l

1. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a spool supporting frame, a tracker bar slidable transversely of said frame, said trackerbar comprising a pair of rigidly connected end portions pronafw'asoov Y yvided witli tracking-controlling apertures and an `intermediate portion provided with note controlling apertures, means for adjusting said intermediate rtion longitudinally with respect to Ysai end ortions for `note transposition purposes, an means for Y automatically shiftin said tracker bar bodily transversely of t e fragne to maintain -provided with note-controllin registration between a note'sheet and saidA tracker bar. n 2. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a frame, a tracker bar slidable transversely of sald frame, said tracker bar Vcomprising rigidly connected end portions provided with tracking-controlling apertures and an intermediate portion disposed between said end portions and apertures, the note-controllin and trac 'ng-controlling apertures of sald tracker bar being all disposed in substantial alinement transversely of the-frame, means for adjustin said intermediate portion relativel to said end portionstransversely of the ame for note transposition purposes, and means for automatically adjusting said end portionsV l and portion together as a unit transversely of said frame l to maintain tracking relation between said tracker bar.

and an overlying nog ysheet. l

3. In an 'automaticumusical instrument, the combination of a frame, a tracker bar slidable `on 'saidv frame andn comprising an intermediaterportion provided with notecontrolling apertures'and rigidly connected end portions provided p, with tracking-controlling apertures, said intermediate and end portions being disposed in longitudinal 4alinement and slidably connected so as to permit longitudinal adjustment of the intermediate portion with respect to the end portions but to prevent transverse relative movement between said portions, means for manually adjusting said intermediate portion longitudinally with respect to said end ortions, andv means for automaticall ad- ]ustingthe tracker'bar comprising sai portions bodily, transversely of the frame to maintain tracking alinement between said tracker bar and an overlying note sheet.

GUST' A. PETERSON.

alsv 

